English Dub Review: Natsume’s Book of Friends “To The Ephemeral Ones”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Natsume has come down with a cold after adventuring in the hills.  All of his friends, both human and yokai, do their best to make him feel better.  As he lies in bed, he begins to realize how much the people around him care for him and how valuable the bonds he’s established are.

Our Take:   

Another season of Natsume’s Book of Friends has officially come to a close.  It’s surprisingly shorter than the previous seasons, containing only eleven episodes instead of thirteen.  However, considering the show’s repetitive narrative structures, it was probably best that it doesn’t stretch its concept out too thin like the others.  So, how is this one able to conclude another tranquil season?  By focusing more on its supporting characters, of course.

Regarding the later episodes, shifting the focus to characters other than Natsume was refreshing enough to bypass the season’s narrative shortcomings and familiar formulas.  It’s easy to say that the season finale is no different, as it centers on Natsume’s mid-rank yokai friends getting special medicine for his cold after accidentally getting him sick.  While they fix the lanterns for a yokai to get that medicine, we see Natsume journeying through memory lane to when he got sick as a child, followed by his brief confrontation with a teenage Reiko, who informs him that he should be alone.  Of course, Natsume already comes to terms with being able to rely on his friends for help, even though their efforts may be for nothing.

It was rare to see the mid-rank yokais back in the spotlight throughout the series, as they hardly played a role in the season or even the previous ones.  Fortunately, “To The Ephemeral Ones” was a perfect time to reintroduce them once more before season five wraps up, even though they don’t get as much screen time as the human characters.  More importantly, it’s another sweet reminder that Natsume’s friends are willing to support or help him with his problems, especially his everyday cold.  It doesn’t exactly conclude the fifth season on a profound note, but at least it’s far from underwhelming due to the mid-rank yokais’ humorous antics.